A Lasting Impression
by Dee Bradfield
Summary: When Jayne met Kaylee...
1. Masculine Wiles

**Part One – Masculine Wiles**

They didn't meet straight off.

Kaylee'd stepped down into the cargo bay, just in time to see his back end goin' out t'wards the kitchen. All she could tell from the glimpse she got was that he weren't average-sized none.

"Man's hungry," the Captain commented, nodding at the doorway. "Ain't been eaten fit servin's for a month or more." There was a pause before he added dryly, "Don't seem none the worse for it though. Still the biggest, meanest gorram tracker I ever saw."

Kaylee didn't much like the sound of that. Big an' mean weren't her cup of oolong. She knew there had to be a grain o' truth to what he said on account that Mal didn't hardly lie to her, and that he'd specifically been on the lookout for some extra muscle since he got shot up on Whitefall a while back, but she weren't one to make assumptions 'bout how someone ought to be took on first appearance.

She reckoned to follow said tracker to see for herself.

He whipped 'round from starin' all lost-like at the table when she come in behind, and she gasped like she'd had her breath knocked clean out, her eyes eating him up like she was the one starvin'.

Sweet Buddha, but he was _swai_. Taller'n her pa and built real solid, the sort her dear ol' grandmammy would've called 'a strapping lad'. Not that he was laddish in any way. No, this specimen was every inch a man.

Thick muscles rippled and rolled along his tanned arms, stretched out the chest and shoulders of his tight blue T-shirt like they had a life of their own. Her gaze shifted from the breadth of that undulatin' landscape down a trim middle and long, powerful legs, takin' in with awe how the gunstrap 'round his thigh was stretched taut with the strain of holdin' on. Though, why that spectacle brought to mind memories of Uncle Deak's prize bull was a mite inexplicable...

He cleared his throat and her wide eyes shot to his face. She made a rapid-shot catalogue of his features; hard jaw and full soft lips, a nose that was straight and button cute. Damn. It weren't fair on a body, him bein' so unexpected fine, her respiratory system was near to shuttin' down altogether.

"Hi," she squeaked.

"Hey." They stared at each other for a full five seconds 'fore he broke contact and scratched at his scruffy dark head. "Uh… So, where ya hidin' the grub?"

"Oh!" Kaylee pivoted real sharp and dived for the cooler, glad to hide her flamin' red face. Gladder even for a chance to get her breath back so she'd sound somethin' more like normal when she spoke again. "Sorry 'bout that. What'd ya have a mind for? We got all sorts…"

She glanced over her shoulder and caught him tracking the shape of her rear neath her coveralls. She made sure to bobble up and down a little bit ta test the waters, see if he was inclined to take the bait.

He sighed, a great big gusty breath, makin' all them muscles ripple with the effort. Didn't look away, though. "Yeah, whatever ya pick'd be okay. I'm easy pleased."

His voice was the gruff growl of a grizzly bear, deep and low and dangerous. The sound of it pricked at her skin like a homespun knit pullover, made her sweat and itch. To cover that scarifyin' reaction, she snagged a frozen dinner pack quick as she could and headed for the heatpad.

Mal strolled in, his clever eyes darting back and forth between them. "You all introduced yourselves yet?"

The big man twitched like a guilty boy caught fossicking in a cookie jar. "Well, not in a formal way or nothin'." He ducked his head some and then gazed back up at her through his lashes like he was shy.

She got struck by his eyes, blue-grey gleamin' like gunmetal in that fierce handsome face. "Ain't got ta that part yet," was all she said. She smiled at the tracker. If he was really as mean as Mal said, weren't no way his eyes'd be so pretty. "I'm Kaylee."

"Kaywinnit Lee Frye," the Captain clarified. "Best little ship's mechanic in the 'Verse."

The big man raised his brows. "That true?"

Kaylee shrugged. "I just fix what's broke, is all."

"Huh." He smiled back at her then, crinklin' those pretty eyes at the corners and flashin' a full set of pearly whites. Weren't no snaggle-toothed pirate leastways, that was a good sign. "Best be keepin' a close eye on ya then, so's we don't all end up floatin' 'round the black with our brains leakin' out our ears."

Kaylee blinked. Okay, so maybe he was a little rough 'round his edges. She could work with that. She was good at fixin' used and worn parts so they ran smooth, most times even better than new.

"Well, can't say I've ever envisaged that possibility." The Captain paused and sniffed, almost dainty, then squinted at the heatpad. "You makin' that fare 'specially crispified for a reason?"

"Oh!" Kaylee reached for the burning pack before she could even think on it an' the liquified plaz-wrap melted to her fingers like it was tryin' to make a hermetic seal. "Ow!" She shook her hand all frantic, tryin' to cool it.

Mal started forward, but he weren't even a half-step closer before Kaylee found herself pressed back-on to a great muscled chest and bein' manoeuvred t'wards the sink. She plum forgot all about her burn. Forgot the Captain and the grub, too.

"Ah, hell, why'd ya go do a _yu bun duh_ thing like that for?" the big tracker's voice rumbled neath her ear. "Git some damp on that pronto. Ain't no call gettin' yourself all blistered up." He surrounded her like a protective wrapper, held her tender and rinsed her hand under the cool stream like it was a delicate china cup, payin' no heed whatever to the grease stains under her nails. His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist. "Hows'it feel? It hurtin' ya any?"

"Nah, it's…" Kaylee swallowed, fightin' back the urge to shiver. That thumb o' his was callused from labour, the rough texture makin' her nerve endings sit up and take notice. Not to mention the oversupply of masculine wiles warmin' her back. "…It's g-good, thanks. I'm real good."

His mouth curved just the smallest bit at her words. "Yeah. I bet y'are," he murmured.

Kaylee smiled a teeny bit herself. She glanced up, way up, and set her eyes on the line of his stubbly jaw, realizin' as she did that the top of her head didn't reach anywhere close to his shoulder.

Oh yeah, he was tall alright. Strong and solid too, not unlike Serenity herself, just perfect for relyin' on in times of trouble. She liked that, liked it a whole lot.

"Here, put this on it." Mal's hand appeared in her front-view of a sudden, a fresh weave dangling from his fingers. He must've been clear out to the infirmary 'n back and they'd never even noticed he'd gone.

Kaylee wanted turn round and smack him for buttin' in, but the spell was broke all the same and the tracker's focus shifted back onto the subject of food.

"Ya got forks?" he asked, moving away. "Can't contend with them ruttin' choppysticks…"

Kaylee flung out her good hand, latching on to a steel-hard forearm. He stilled, as only a predator can, his eyes dancin' a rhythm back 'n forth twixt her hand and her face.

"Never did catch yer name," she whispered.

He relaxed and grinned, sort of shrewd, like he had the key to the biggest mystery in the whole 'Verse right there in his pocket.

"Name's Jayne," he told her. "Jayne Cobb."


	2. Things That Go Bang In The Night

**Part Two – Things That Go Bang in the Night**

It was late, and Kaylee'd nigh on entered the land o' Nod when she heard Jayne Cobb bangin' 'round in the neighbouring bunk. He was making a god-awful racket, the like o' which she'd not heard since Serenity'd popped her main rotary converter.

She got up and pounded on their shared bulkhead with the heel of her hand. "Hey, knock it off in there! Some folks're tryin' ta sleep!"

The banging just continued uninterrupted like it had every intention of goin' on til doomsday. Kaylee climbed out of her bunk and up to the corridor, grumbling all the while. Right when she was about to start pounding on his door, it all came to an abrupt and silent halt. There was a dead calm. Made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

She dithered a moment, plucking fretfully at the weave on her burned finger. Maybe it weren't such a good idea, confrontin' him like this. The Captain had pulled her aside after their earlier meeting and warned her off gettin' involved. Said the big tracker was like to turn on her, that she couldn't trust him. He'd been so adamant it almost made her wonder why he'd even bothered to hire Jayne in the first place.

"_Ta ma de!_ Ruttin' _bu zhong yong_ piece of _go se_!"

A soft clatter underscored the viciousness in that low growlin' voice, but it was like he was actually tryin' to be quiet, like the din he'd been makin' ain't already woke everyone up.

Kaylee opened her mouth to yell again, but Mal beat her to it. He was suddenly alongside her on the gangway with his gun drawn, his hair stickin' out every which way and his face red and angry. She blinked at him, never havin' seen him so het up.

"Jayne!" he roared at the entryway. "You better not be blowin' holes in my boat, nor fixin' on any sabotage equal as dire, you hear me?"

"What?" Jayne's muffled voice sounded defensive, and maybe just a smidge hurt. "I wouldn't do that," he said. "Not while I was still aboard it, leastways. Ain't partial to havin' my innards sucked out."

Kaylee had to grin at that.

Mal shot her a look. It weren't happy. "Well, you mind informin' me what it was you _were_ doin'?"

There came that dead calm again.

"Jayne?"

"Um… nothin'?" he ventured.

"'Nothin'' don't sound like the armies o' darkness come to carry me home." Mal booted Jayne's door open and peered down into the breach.

"Hey!" Jayne looked up at them from the bottom of the stair, wide-eyed startled.

And shirtless.

Kaylee angled her head so she could see more of him 'round Mal's shoulder. Hmm, was that a tattoo? Might be a red dragon, she concluded, hard to tell in the dim light.

"Ya coulda knocked, gorramit." Jayne was near to pouting. "Thought the idea was this'un was my bunk, my own _private_ bunk."

"True enough," Mal said. "But that commotion you're makin' ain't exactly conducive to said privacy, nor to my soundness of mind."

"Hell." Jayne scratched at the nape of his neck, an odd air of little boy guilt about him.

Kaylee frowned. She'd noticed it before, that curious dash of artlessness from what was for all intents a hired killer. It jarred some, didn't fit with what she'd been told.

When he looked back up his face was devoid of any guile. "In earnest, I was just tryin' to stow my gear, Mal. Didn't mean ta be so loud." He glanced away at where his bed lay just out of their view. "Might be I need ta borrow a welder, put some racks in."

"That's shiny," Kaylee said. She bent forward so that her face replaced the Captain's in Jayne's line of sight. "I can give you a hand tomorrow if ya want."

"Oh." Jayne smiled. "Hey, thanks Kaylee."

Mal grabbed the rear of her shirt and hauled her upright. He shook his head at her, kinda incredulous, and then propelled her back towards her own bunk. "Go."

"_Shumma_?"

He urged her onward a few more paces. "Get back to bed."

"Believe my Pa's still quick 'n full o' beans, so who died 'n made you him?" Kaylee turned, fisted hands on hips, and glared. She was so intent on Mal, she didn't hardly notice when Jayne surfaced in the corridor behind him.

Mal, however, whirled 'round so fast he near tripped, his gun-hand flyin' up to protect himself. "BWAAH!"

Jayne didn't bat an eyelid; he just reached out and plucked the gun outta Mal's grasp, easy as you please. He turned it over in his hands, checked the safety, and then sighted along the barrel, targetin' the little fairy lights round Kaylee's door one by one. "Nice piece o' hardware," he said, solemn as a judge. "Collect it in the war?"

Mal was all befuddled now, tryin' to conjure how he'd come ta be unarmed. His hands twitched up t'ward surrender, then aborted midway. "Ah… yeah?"

"38 Bull's dependable enough," Jayne told him, offering it back. "Watch that autoloader, though. Got a inclination ta get hung up. Like ta shoot yerself in the foot 'fore ya clear leather."

"Huh." The Captain stared down at the returned weapon like he couldn't quite decipher its existence.

Kaylee was doin' purt' near the same to Jayne. The big man hadn't bothered pullin' on a shirt, and on account of his disruptive shenanigans in the bunk below his body was now radiant with sweat. His skin fair glowed like one of Inara's fancy fits, like satin or plush velvet. She itched to touch him, see whether he was both as hard and as soft as he looked.

Jayne absently rubbed a trickling bead of sweat into the skin of his belly. He noticed the little mechanic's eyes followin' the motion and moved his fingers down further, slithering along the hairline to the waist of his pants. He toyed with the button there, watching her face for a reaction.

Kaylee swallowed hard and her moonshine bright eyes shot back up to lock on ta his.

He winked.

Mal cleared his throat. "So… Now this ruckus is done, we should all turn in." He glanced at Kaylee, then back to Jayne, eyes narrow. "Separately," he added.

No one moved.

"I mean it," Mal warned.

"Yes sir, Captain Pushypants," Kaylee chirruped. She returned Jayne's wink, added a saucy wave and grin, and then retreated to the safety of her bunk, hips a'swingin' all the way.

Jayne watched her go, a hungry gleam in his eye matched by the subtle play of his tongue against the edge of his teeth. "_Ai ya_, but that's a wealth o' pretty right there."

"You don't touch her." Mal's voice was as cold and hard as a tombstone. He poked Jayne in the stomach with the barrel of his gun. "She ain't for you, Jayne, _dong ma_? I don't hold with shipboard romances."

Jayne's peered at his poked belly then back up, brows arched. "Ain't two've yours hitched?"

"Well, they ain't the…" The Captain shrugged off explainin'. "You don't touch her."

"Don't have to be any ro-mance involved, if'n that's…"

"I gave you an order, Jayne. You want a place on my crew, you best get used to takin' 'em."

Blue eyes got steely. The merc pulled himself tall so's the few inches he had on the Captain seemed more, all made up of sneer and disdain. "You want to take me on? 'Cause as I recollect that didn't exactly work in your favour." He slapped the barrel of Mal's 38 aside like a bug, a stark reminder of how easily he'd taken it earlier. "I coulda seen you dead and took this boat for my ownself."

"Right, and then Kaylee'd miraculously fall into your strong 'n manful arms." Mal snorted. "She'd've run from you screamin'."

Jayne was crestfallen. "You sayin' she don't like guns?"

"I was goin' for 'she don't like seein' me shot', but nope, them either." Mal opted to embellish a tad, sensing that this may be a means to keep the man in line. "Harbours a path-o-logical fear."

"Aw, heck. That ain't right. Body's got no place bein' out in the black if they can't take care theyselves."

"That's why she has me," Mal said. "And Zoë, and Wash. The crew take care of her."

Jayne stared at the painted sign on Kaylee's door, all hearts 'n flowers 'n little girl frills, and felt torn inside. He didn't want to squander a choice opportunity, but he also didn't have much soft in his life and he was of a mind to keep some close, whether he actually got to touch it or not.

"Reckon I could look out for the girl," he mused aloud, tryin' to divine some way to work this roadblock to his advantage. "For certain do a better job of it 'n the rest of you."

"Great!" The Captain beamed like Jayne was his best friend in whole 'Verse. He clapped a hand on the big man's shoulder. "Glad to have you on board. Just don't be gettin' more than friendly with the mechanic or I'll blow you out the airlock. We clear?"

Jayne grunted, his mind still workin' the possibles.

Friendly and protector-like, huh? He could cope with that.

For a while...


	3. Breathing Space

**Part Three - Breathing Space**

Jayne stalked straight along the aft passage and across the threshold into Miss Frye's Mystical World o' Engines. No more puttin' it off. He really needed a dialogue with the little mechanic.

They'd had a ball of it yesterday putting up the gun racks in his bunk, with all the flirty winks and nudges, but they couldn't keep on that way, not if Mal didn't want anythin' to come of the two of 'em. Only thing was, he'd best be lettin' her in on the deal, elsewise she'd get the wrong idea 'n think he didn't want her or somethin'.

He glanced around at the reddish-hued walls, feelin' a prickle of sweat beading on his skin just from bein' inside. _Ai ya, it's hotter than a fat man's ass crack in here._

"Kaylee?"

She scooted out from neath some rotating part or other and beamed at him, delighted that he'd sought her out. "Jayne! Hi!" She scrambled to her feet and brushed ineffectively at the coveralls tied around her waist, so covered in grime that the flowery pattern on her shirt was nigh obliterated. "You need somethin'?"

Jayne stared. He hadn't seen her in her element before now. Her eyes were all bright and sparkly, and her hair was twisted up in some kind of fancy knotty thing, little flyaway strands clinging to the dampened skin of her neck.

_So gorram pretty…_

"I, uh…" Jayne licked his lips. He couldn't rightly remember what his original purpose had been; she'd done shorted out his brainpan lookin' all sweet and smudged like that. Acting purely on instinct, he reached out and brushed the pad of his thumb across her cheekbone, smearing the tiny trace of oil there. "You're all grunged up."

Kaylee's eyes fluttered shut. "Hmm. Yeah. That happens a lot."

Jayne stepped a mite closer, dropping his voice low and intimate. Womenfolk seemed to respond real nice when he did that. "I like it."

The Captain's warnings had flown right outta his head.

The minute Jayne'd stepped foot into the engine room, Kaylee's world had shrunk. Serenity's tacky orbital valve was clean forgotten in favour of drinking her fill of the mercenary's presence. He was so big and powerful, he owned a space like no-one she'd ever met.

A tingle spread right through her at his first touch, then when his voice got all deep and growly, her eyes shot back open and widened as she registered his nearness. Uh-oh.

"Jayne?"

"Yeah?"

"What're ya doin'?"

Kaylee couldn't get a steady grip on her equilibrium. She made an attempt to move away, to find some breathing space, and found the engine block at her back instead. Her hands automatically came up to press against the solid wall of his chest, though she weren't entirely sure that she really intended ta hold him off. The cloth of his khaki T-shirt was worn and soft, but under that he was hard as a steel plate. Warm, too. Heck, he was throwin' heat like a Gurtsler at full burn.

"You could tempt a saint, you aware of that, baby girl?" He plucked at the filly hem of her cap sleeve. "So pretty."

Bluer than a lowered flame, his eyes scorched her, set her fuse alight. She felt her nerves fizzlin', ready to pop, tight as a wire stretched to snapping.

"You're fair temptin' yerself," she managed to gasp.

"Forbidden fruit." He grinned, and it were as wicked as the devil's own. "Wanna steal a taste?" His fingers blazed a trail down her bare arm, from shoulder to wrist, rough calluses tuggin' a whimper from the back of her throat.

"Ooh…"

"Kaylee, you got that flibberty-bit fixed yet? We're due to deliver that _yi dui fei wu_ cargo on Persephone in two days, an' runnin' behind schedule ain't exactly…"

Both Mal's voice and the man himself slammed to a halt against the wall of spiralling tension in the room. He stared wide-eyed for a second, before his eyes narrowed into slits.

Kaylee ducked sideward out of Jayne's hold. She was real reluctant about it, but there was no tellin' what Mal was of a mind to do when he got squinty like that. She didn't want Jayne shot. "I was just gettin' on that, Cap'n. Not to fuss."

"Oh, I'm fussin'." Mal folded his arms crossways. "Is there somethin' wrong with your hearing? Seems to me, I recall givin' some particular orders regarding fraternizin' on my boat. Specifically along the lines of 'don't'."

Jayne watched Kaylee retreat, gathering her tools together one at a time like she was set on buildin' a fence 'tween them. He pursed his lips in displeasure and swung round to move toe-to-toe with the – just barely – shorter man, his movements slow and measured. Losing his calm just then probably weren't a good idea. He didn't think he'd seen the true extent of Mal's temper yet, and he didn't wanna end up spaced.

"Got no call to get tetchy," he said. "We was just havin' us a little discussion."

"My understandin' is that would involve less touching and more actual talking." Mal glanced past the barrier of Jayne's shoulder at Kaylee. "My engine room ain't the place for scratchin' your itches, _mei mei_."

She stopped fidgeting and gawked at him, a large wrench clutched tightly in her slender fist like she'd like nothing better than to hit him with it. "Captain!"

Jayne's face darkened. "Hey! Don't be talkin' at her like that. This ain't her fault."

"Well then, it must be yours." Mal gave him a scornful once over. "That bein' the case, I should mayhaps be lettin' you stay dirtside once we've finished this job."

"No!"

The vehemence of Kaylee's shout made both men turn.

She blushed. "What I mean ta say is, don't do that," she begged. Her eyes got all big and she batted her lashes like there was somethin' stuck in there. "Please? He ain't done nothin' I haven't encouraged any. We's both guilty parties."

Jayne's brows quirked upward in surprise. He ain't ever had no-one so quick to stand up for him before. Be gorramed if'n he didn't like that, too.

"Ain't necessary for ya to fret," he told her. He turned back to Mal. "I ain't goin' anywheres."

"Is that right?" Mal's gaze was pure challenge.

Jayne refused to back down. "Yeah. See, 'ceptin' for some of your more problematic rules, I figure this here's 'bout the easiest post I ever had. Cushy too. Got me a nice bunk, with plenty a' room to hang my girls, good grub and a good percentage of the take. I ain't gonna screw that up."

Besides, Kaylee looked real cute when she was riled. He could stand to see a little more o' that.

Mal's face got all hard and stony. "I want you two to swear to me here and now that you're never gonna be more than friends while either of you're in my employ."

"But…"

"Swear!"

Jayne locked eyes with Kaylee. He raised one hand like he was pledgin' allegiance the way his Ma'd taught him. "My word to God, I won't touch the girl less'n its friendly."

She smirked at him, havin' cottoned on that his wording was deliberately left open to interpretation. Smart as a whip, she was.

"Right." The back of Mal's head broke their staring competition as he leant over to look her dead in the eye. "Kaylee?"

She waggled her fingers in the air. "Yep. Me too."

A beat.

Mal sighed. "Got myself a deep down apprehension that this won't be the last time we have this conversation." He stepped back and stabbed a finger at them. "But I'm holdin' those promises dear, no matter how disingenuous, you get me?"

"Yes sir!" Kaylee saluted.

Jayne didn't rightly know what 'disingenuous' meant, but it appeared the man was resolute about it. He didn't want to look stupid in front of Kaylee, so he grunted instead of puttin' voice to a proper answer. It seemed to pass well enough as agreement and the Captain retreated up the passage t'wards the dining room, grumbling the whole way.

"Might not have meant it altogether," Kaylee began, interrupting Jayne afore he could get a word in edgeways, "But I reckon we gotta stick to what we just said."

"In the interest of keepin' the Cap's peace of mind?" Jayne asked. "An' my hide mostly intact?"

"Yeah." She smiled, real soft and sad. "I'm sorry."

"Naw. 'S nothin'." Jayne relented some at her adorable little pout. "Alright, yeah, it's frustratin' as hell."

"Sure is," she agreed. "You done got me all wound up and now there's nowhere to go with it."

They both stared for a piece, dreamin' on what could have been, chemistry like theirs.

"Well." Jayne shook himself and forced himself away from her, both physical and otherwise. "My suggestion is we find us some willin' trim once we dock, so's we won't get tempted again."

"Sounds like a plan." Kaylee's grin widened, got all dimpled and cheeky. "So, we're friends?"

"Seems like."

She stuck out her hand and he shook it, tryin' hard to ignore how her workworn palm rubbed 'gainst his own, the grease on her fingers easing the way. The engine room seemed too small all a sudden. He needed breathing space. He dropped her hand like it burned him.

"I'll see ya later, Kaylee." Jayne put on a smile, sure it looked as out of place on his face as it felt, turned away and head off for his bunk.

_Friends._

Gorramn it, he'd been so ruttin' close to tastin' her…


	4. Shatterproof

_We have now lived through events in both the series and the movie. What happens now?_

**Part Four - SHATTERPROOF**

Inara Serra walks Serenity's narrow passages with fresh purpose these days. In the wake of recent tribulations, the ship feels like her home now - again - welcoming and warm, a place where her heart truly is.

Of course, that feeling may have more to do with the captain than the vessel herself.

While it's a certainty that she and Mal continue to dance around each other in an eternal pas de deux, it's a familiar rhythm to them both and they know the steps so well that they only occasionally step on each other's toes. He actually apologizes when that happens now, which is a new and surprising development.

Almost as big a surprise is what she sees when she takes the stairway down into the common area.

Jayne Cobb is perched on the edge of the saggy old sofa. Aside the fact that she's never ever seen the big mercenary sit there before and he doesn't seem the slightest bit comfortable, it's the expression on his face that shocks her.

'Haunted' is the only word she can think of that comes close to describing it. He's pale to the point of ashen, cheeks hollowed and gaunt as he chews on a ragged thumbnail and stares intently through the infirmary window. He doesn't turn and leer at her, or make a single crude remark. In fact, he doesn't acknowledge her presence at all.

Inara wonders what in the universe could garner such a reaction. Or lack of reaction, rather. Of all the crew, Jayne's the one who comes across as virtually indestructible. Hardly anything ever manages to penetrate that thick veneer of blunt and bluster, be it word or weapon. He's the hard man among them: tough, strong. Shatterproof. It's not like him to show weakness like this.

Then again, that's not entirely true, either. She has seen hints of a childlike vulnerability lurking beneath that unyielding surface. There is an endearing tenderness present when speaking of his mother - or his guns. Perhaps someone's dismantling one of his prized firearms in there…

She takes a second to glance over in the infirmary's direction as she reaches the bottom of the steps. No. Nothing's being dismantled, but on the other side of the pane Simon and Kaylee are smiling at each other in that smitten, new-lovers way and a sickening realization begins to dawn on her.

_Oh dear, why hadn't she noticed this earlier? She'd been trained to be observant, and there must have been signs - Jayne's not capable of being that subtle, is he?_

"She looks happy, right?"

Jayne's gruff voice startles Inara enough to make her jump, she swings back, hand at her throat. "What?"

"Doc makes her happy," he says, punctuating the statement with an emphatic nod. "That's good."

"Oh. Yes, yes it is."

He grunts in agreement. "She needs somethin' ta smile about. Reckon we all do. 'Specially nowadays."

Jayne ducks his head, finally managing to drag his eyes away from the window. His long fingers are twisting themselves together in his lap now and Inara finds herself staring at this unexpected display of emotional distress. She really doesn't think Jayne will be smiling any time soon.

The hand-wringing is nothing compared to the depths of despair apparent when he glances up and catches her eye. In that moment he is stripped bare before her, naked in a way that none of her clients have ever been. She holds his gaze for only a second before he stands abruptly and heads for the exit.

"Jayne?" Inara takes an involuntary step toward him, compelled to offer comfort and slightly appalled by that. "I, uh… Are you… alright?" She says it carefully, afraid that he might suddenly turn on her. She doesn't quite know how to deal with this incarnation of the man.

"No." He walks out, never once looking back.

"No, I don't suppose you are."

It seems that he's not so shatterproof after all. At least, his heart isn't. She stares after him, torn.

_What should she do about this? Should anything be done at all? Can anything?_

Kaylee skips into her line of sight, cheeks flushed and grinning from ear to ear, completely oblivious to the devastation she has just caused. "Hey you."

"Hey you." Inara can't help but return the smile. Jayne's right. She looks happy. Very happy.

Mal's irritated voice reaches her ears. He's yelling at Jayne in the cargo bay for some reason and his inventive Chinese curses cause her smile to curve even wider.

Yes, she thinks, maybe it's best for her to leave things as they are for a while.


	5. Seeing The Light

**Disclaimer:** Joss created Serenity. Serenity belongs to Mal. Mal recruited Kaylee. Kaylee belongs with Jayne. Jayne is brought to life by Adam and occasionally pops up in my dreams. It's one big happy family, really.

**Part Five - Seeing The Light**

Kaylee couldn't recall exactly when she'd stopped watching Jayne.

It was a pity, really, because he was just so damned watchable. She'd used to do it all the time when he first came aboard. It'd been somewhat of a hobby of hers, just watching him and setting herself adrift in lazy daydreams of his strong arms and rippling muscles, of his big careful hands. Sure, the Captain had warned her off getting involved, she suspected he'd warned Jayne too, but that didn't stop a gal from looking her fill. He'd been new and interesting, and there was always some mighty fine scenery on show.

Then along came Doctor Simon Tam, and his bright-hot Core-boy shine had eclipsed Jayne's steady warm glow. Like a moth with a flame, she'd burned herself over and over trying to get close to that light, the big mercenary reduced to naught but a shadow on the edge of her vision. She hadn't really looked at him anymore, not without the flash burst of Simon blinding her to his presence.

Then came Miranda, and everything changed.

Somewhere amidst all the trouble, Simon finally saw her, finally wanted to be with her. The problem was, after being so wrapped up in the chase for all those months, the reality of actually having him within her grasp was pretty much an anti-climax. Not to mention awkward. They hadn't quite fit the way she'd thought they would.

Wasn't anyone's fault really; they were just geared too different. Outside from the sexin', they didn't share a whole lot of common ground. Simon never wanted to talk with her much, not about anything serious leastways, and not without being all manner of snooty. He weren't one for sharin' his hopes and dreams; didn't treat her like something dear, the way she treated him. Even when they was alone, his focus remained almost exclusively on his sister. She couldn't really blame him for that - they was family, and River was in need of his doctorin' skills - but he acted for the most part like Kaylee was a distraction or like he was doing her a favour spending his precious time with her, and that was something she _could_ hold him accountable for. She began to realize that he'd been the same all along and wasn't ever gonna change, that he wasn't worth the effort she'd been making.

They broke up.

At this point, another month further down the track, Simon's sparkle had worn clean off and she'd taken to watching Jayne again. She was aware of him in a way she'd never been before, drawn to his raw, ready form, beginning to suspect that it was hidin' a treasure real and true. Buried deep beneath the rough was a tender heart, and it was breaking apart a little piece at a time.

It was the quiet that tipped her off something was amiss.

They'd all been so preoccupied after Miranda, after the dual loss of Book and Wash, that Jayne's unusual silence hadn't made so much as a ripple with the rest of the crew. Kaylee certainly hadn't noticed, not until she'd taken her blinkers off and was paying closer attention.

There were no grumbles from him anymore; no sneers, no crude jokes, no big man bluster. Instead, there was an eerie, brooding quiet. He'd begun disappearing at odd times, was even absent from the dinner table on occasion, and spent hours alone staring at the pages of the Shepherd's bible. He did his job well enough, went about the motions, but it was with a sort of resigned calm she never would've expected from him. He seemed smaller, diminished to some degree. It just weren't right.

"Shadows and tall trees," River said as she sat down alongside Kaylee on the catwalk, both of them dangling their legs over the edge. "Lamb's lost in the woods."

Kaylee peered through her lashes to where Jayne sat on the weight bench below, not working out, but engrossed once more in the Lord's good book. "He is different, right? I ain't just imaginin' things?"

"Shell's been cracked," River explained, clear enough, though she never really made that much sense to Kaylee. She was better now, less prone to violent outbursts and the like, but there were times when words just flowed out of her like the stream she was named for, broad-waved straight from the recesses of her reader's mind. "His insides are leaching out, spilling down the sides. No vinegar and brown paper can mend it. Faulty patchwork." She nodded gravely. "Looking for love in all the wrong places."

"Lookin' for…?" Kaylee gaped at the girl, wide-eyed, then turned the stare back on Jayne. She swallowed, suddenly nervous. "What's that s'posed ta mean?"

"Wants a solid foundation," River went on. "Reinforcement, a home built on stone. It's all that he needs. All _you_ need. And Kaylee?"

"Yeah?"

"Simon's a boob."

Kaylee laughed. "Yeah, well, you coulda told me that _before_ I made a fool of myself."

River's attention strayed back to Jayne, who'd put the bible away and had begun performing a set of presses, the bar so laden with weight it was practically bending in the middle. "Fixing a hole where the rain gets in," she murmured. "Stops his mind from wandering…"

Kaylee bumped shoulders with the other girl in an attempt to break her concentration. "Hey, aren't you meant to be flyin' the ship right about now?"

"Captain's clearly showing some aptitude," River quipped, and smiled to herself. "Keeps her in the air, steady as she goes. It's all he needs, too." She turned the smile outward, a sly twisting of her lips, and then she was up and gone, as quietly as she'd arrived.

The cargo bay was like a tomb in her absence, its charged silence broken only by Jayne's grunts and the rhythmic sound of the weights shifting with his movement.

For no particular reason she could fathom, his presence had rendered Kaylee jittersome; her heart taken to pounding and her palms all sweaty. Then there came a deafening crash, its echo booming around the bulkheads, and she near jumped out of her skin.

"_Cao_!"

The curse word was harsh and heated, and made Kaylee want to cheer. It was the first time she'd heard him swear in weeks. It was a relief to know that the man she'd come to care for still lurked somewhere inside that hollow shell.

She scrambled down the stairway instead, gasping out loud when she saw what had happened. It seemed impossible, but he'd somehow tumbled sideward, not quite hitting the floor, with the barbell pinning him against the bench. "Are you okay?"

Jayne shot her a withering glance and pushed at the bar on his chest. "Stop askin' stupid ruttin' questions and help me outta here."

Kaylee hurried around to his side and grabbed a hold of the end that was stickin' up in the air, yanking it towards her. It hardly moved at all, probably weighed near to a full ton, but Jayne was able to slide a little further from under it, his backside hitting the floor with a thud. He scooted out using his legs for propulsion, and as they let the bar go, it rolled in the opposite direction, smashing into the deck.

Jayne stood, stretching out the neck of his crudely-sloganed T-shirt and peering into the hole to assess the damage.

"Are ya hurt?" Kaylee let her eyes dance over his frame. He'd gotten leaner lately, harder. Between all the exercisin' and the skipped meals, there weren't a spare inch anywhere on that big body. "Do you need to go see Simon?"

It was quite possibly the worst thing she coulda said.

Jayne's aversion to Simon had risen to a whole new level since the break-up. If there was one name guaranteed to trigger a reaction that was it, and this time proved no different. His eyes shot to her face, scorching her with indigo fire. "I never willin'ly want that _ben__ tian sheng de hun dan_ anywhere near me." He swung his left arm, rotating the shoulder cuff.

"No reason to get nasty, Jayne."

"Did _you_ just get smacked by a loaded barbell?"

"Well, no, but that ain't…" She was talking to fresh air. He'd just walked off without so much as a thank you. "Well… _fine_!" she snapped at his retreating back. "You _should_ go see Simon. Two've you make a fine pair. Like green peas in a gorram pod!"

He turned, one hand rubbing at his chest, the other on the stair rail. "What the hell is your problem, girl?"

"You. And Simon too, I reckon. Ain't a one of you sees me. Stupid men on this boat act like I don't even exist."

Jayne was on her before she could blink, right up against her, toe-to-toe, so close she could feel the heat from his body all the way along her front, stealing the breath from her lungs. He waited until she raised her chin, toffee-coloured eyes makin' the long journey upward to meet the molten steel of his.

"You might wanna reconsider that notion." His voice purred like a crouching tiger, soft and dangerous. "'Cause I been seein' ya just fine for a good long while."

Kaylee smiled. A coy little smile similar to Inara's that she'd practiced the mirror. "Oh, I'm all aware o' that. Just so happens that now I'm seein' right back."

"Uh...?" Jayne clearly hadn't expected that reaction from her. He frowned and stepped back, his hands curling away like she was contaminated with something. His eyes darted around the cargo bay, waiting for the trap to spring, for Mal to step out and shoot him for daring to get fresh with his precious mechanic.

Kaylee's smile widened. She hadn't seen him this discombobulated since Higgins' Moon, when they was listenin' to that Hero of Canton song. It was all kinds of cute on him.

The bigger her smile became, the darker his scowl. "I don't…" He tucked in his chin, brows scrunching together, staring hard. "What game're you playin' at?"

"Ain't playin'." Kaylee stepped closer, he stepped back. "I'm dead serious."

Another step forward, another retreat. Almost like they was dancin'.

"I've been seeing you, for weeks now, Jayne. Seein' you hurt somethin' fierce an' keep it all inside. It's eatin' at you."

The big man was regarding her with something akin to fear, back-pedalling fast and searching for an escape route. "You're talkin' out your _pi gu_."

"No." Kaylee shook her head, all trace of merriment gone now. "No. I'm not, an' you know it, too. You - you're sharp-eyed, don't never normally miss a trick. Hell, even the Capt'n says you're near to the best tracker in the whole 'verse, but you've got so woolly-headed lately you ain't even noticed how much I been spyin' on you." She shifted nearer again and this time he had nowhere left to go, the bulkhead hard at his back. "You miss 'em, don't you? Shepherd Book an'…" She almost couldn't say it, a sob unexpectedly clogging her throat, "…an' W-wash…"

"Kaylee…"

"You miss 'em so bad, you're holdin' tight to the only little bit you got left." Kaylee reached out and yanked the dog-eared bible from the thigh pocket of his cargo pants. She waved it under his nose like an accusation and then tossed it back over her shoulder.

He watched it go with dismay, wincing when it hit the deck. "Now, that ain't right…" He moved as if to go fetch it, and she shoved him back against the wall.

"Oh, you're damn straight it ain't. You're not gonna find what you're looking for in that _yu__ ben de_ book, Jayne. You gotta let it out, talk to someone, 'cause goin' on the way y'are's apt to get you killed, an' I can't…" Tears stung her eyes, but she was determined to get it said now that she'd started. "…I can't lose you too. Not now."

Jaylee snippet"You can't…? Huh?" Jayne looked confused. He blinked. "Oh hey, I got a idea. How's about we conduct this conversation some time else, when you're actin' a lot less like a crazy person?"

Kaylee glared. "Don't you dare make sport at me when I just went and told ya…"

"I know what ya said, Kaylee. It just don't make no gorram sense."

"Lately I been havin' these… there's a whole lot'a… what I mean to say is, since Simon didn't…"

He huffed. "See now, there's where it gets clear. I ain't nobody's consolation prize, darlin', an' I sure as hell won't be playin' second _erhu_ to the Doc in any scenario." Jayne pulled himself tall and stalked past the little mechanic, determined not to get mixed up in whatever girl-brained scheme she was conjuring.

He bent to collect the Shepherd's poor mistreated bible, gathering together the handful of pages from Genesis that kept falling out no matter how many times they were reaffixed. He nearly fell on his ass when Kaylee knelt down right in front of him. "What the…?"

"You ain't second best," she said, staring straight into his wide eyes. "An' I'm sorry I never saw that." She touched his cheek, fingertip tracing the tiny dimpled scar she found there. "I want you to come first."

He blinked at her for a bit, and then a slow smirk crept across his lips. "You propositionin' me?"

"What?" Kaylee smacked his shoulder, a furious blush pinking her cheeks. "_Jayne_!!"

He rocked back on his heels, letting out a snort of amusement. The accompanying grimace was fleeting, but enough for her to figure out that he really had injured himself earlier, worse than he was letting on.

She frowned. "How bad're you damaged?"

Jayne ducked his head, shuffling the bible pages to get the numbers in order. He shrugged. "Nothin's busted permanent, if that's what you're askin'."

Kaylee poked him and he yelped, jerking upright and away from the evil pain-giving digit.

"Ow! Gorramit, girl, that ain't kosherized!"

"You march your stubborn body out to the infirmary right now, Jayne Cobb, or so help me I'll…"

"What? Prod me ta death?"

"Just… come on." She latched onto a sturdy wrist and tugged him along behind, knowing without a doubt that for all the formidable strength he possessed, he wouldn't resist following.

He didn't. He let her lead him for a few steps before speaking again.

"Um, about what you was sayin' before, me needin' to talk n' all… I - I'm not good with words, Kaylee. I'm more a action kinda guy. Times get troublesome, I just get the urge to _do_ somethin', you know? Be practicable. But there ain't nothin' to be done here that we ain't already seen to, so - so what I been tryin' ta… I mean, mostly I don't get the why of it."

Kaylee's breath caught. Dear Lord, he was actually doin' it, he was honest-to-goodness sharing his feelin's with her. Right here was proof that her trust in him weren't unfounded, that this man was willing to let her close when all the other had done was hold his self away. Still, she'd best tread careful, or he might bolt. "Of what?"

"Why they died. Any of 'em. Ain't no reason for it."

She remembered him saying similar on Miranda and struggled for a second to cotton to his way of thinking. "Jayne, you kilt a lot of folks in your time, you sayin' they never gave you reason?"

He stopped walking. "Hey now, most times those fellas come into it with their eyes open. They's cognisant to the fact that it's either them or me – just so happens that it's usually me. And bein' good at my job don't make me cold-blooded. I ain't no gorram Reaver. Can't deny that I done plenty a' bad for my split of coin, but I prefer my fights fair. We already talked on this."

That memory was somewhat vaguer than the other, and tinged with a quantity of guilt. She'd no more than half-listened to him at that juncture, too wrapped up in the possibility of Simon leaving Serenity. "Yeah, I guess we did."

"Anyway, the situations ain't exactly similar, are they?" he asked. "Them people on Haven didn't volunteer to be counter-struck at, no more'n those on Miranda looked to get made better by the Alliance."

"Well, way I see it, people is always gonna be people, for good or bad, and maybe there ain't a reason." Kaylee turned to face him, and found herself the centre of his attention. She hadn't ever been on the receiving end of such steely regard. It was kind of disconcerting, threw her for a moment. "M-maybe the whole point of livin' is to live, not spend time worryin' on what happens when you're not." She pointed to the bible he still carried. "Maybe the people who wrote that book knowed that an' that's why you ain't found any answers there."

Jayne was silent for a minute, intent on the book in his hand. "But… the Shepherd used ta… I need…" He sighed. When he looked up at her again there was naught in his big blue eyes but lost little boy. "Why for, Kaylee?"

"Oh, sweetie." She threw her arms round his middle and held him tight, feeling an odd sense of completion as she did, they locked together so perfect.

He kept himself stiff, muscles bunched and tensed up, and his voice was thick when he finally spoke. "Shoulda been me."

"No."

"Hired guns are a dime a dozen in this _gou__ shi_ 'Verse. Mal could've just…"

"Capt'n wouldn't do that, Jayne. You ain't replaceable. None of us are. We's pulled together on this boat closer'n most blood kin. You matter to us, same way as we matter to you."

Kaylee cuddled tighter, overjoyed when his arms gradually closed around her in reply. She shut her eyes and savoured the sure, solid weight of him; his breath stirring her hair and his heart beating a reassuring rhythm neath her ear. She'd never felt so safe in her whole life.

_A solid foundation, reinforcement, a home built on stone…_

Kaylee made a mental note to gift River with something pretty.

They stayed there for what seemed years, warm and content, until one of his large hands began to drift south, creeping across her hip and curving down round her backside.

He squeezed.

"Jayne," she whispered. "Are you propositionin' me?"

"Hell, yes."

She giggled, sliding her palms down the slope of his lower back and grabbing on to a choice handful of her own. "Shiny."

"Hey, Kaylee?" Jayne sounded surprisingly hesitant, considerin' where his hand was. Or hers, for that matter.

"Hmm?"

"Did you mean it?"

"Which part?"

"That you been spyin' at me. That you ain't all caught up in that _sha__ gua_ Doc no more."

She gazed up at his open, earnest face and found comfort there. He needed this as much as she did, possibly even more. "Yeah, I meant it. There's somethin' 'tween us, Jayne, something good and strong. Always was, truth be told, and I'm all set to take a chance on it now. I wouldn't be here elsewise."

"Well. That's alright then." Jayne was back to teasing now, a long-denied spark flaring to life behind his eyes. No longer unrequited or forbidden, it burned anew in the wake of their recent trials and tribulations. If anything, it was likely hotter and stronger for the wait.

She'd finally seen his light, and it had led her home.


	6. Not Where You Live

**PART 6 - Not Where You Live**

"_Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."_

_Christian Morgenstein_

Jayne Cobb peeked cautiously through the dining room hatchway, then quickly ducked back out, hopin' he hadn't been seen. Okay - target acquired. Only thing left now was to suck it up an'… go get himself killed.

_Gou huang tang_. He'd changed his mind. Weren't no way in hell this was a good idea. He weren't goin' in there. He spun round, intending to return to his bunk.

Little Kaylee Frye stood smack dab centre of the corridor, cutting off his retreat; a tiny scowling sentry in stained coveralls and a frilly pink shirt. She put her hands on her hips and regarded him steadily.

He tried the kicked puppy face on her; seemed to work more often than not. She just glared harder and made an impatient scoot-along motion with her hand.

Apparently this was one of them 'not' times.

"Aww, come on, girl. T'ain't fair, me goin' in all unguarded. I'll be an open target." His hand twitched convulsively at his side, wishing for a weapon, or maybe a pair of bullet-proof pants. He wondered for a brief crazy moment whether he could use the Shepherd's bible as a shield. "I got parts need protectin'."

Kaylee's eyes flicked down below his waistband, then back up to meet his own. She looked a smidge worried now. "Oh. I hadn't thought o' that."

Jayne nodded emphatically. "Uh-huh. See there, you should go first. Clear the way."

The young mechanic chewed on her lower lip. Kind of made him want to do the same.

"Alright," she agreed. "But you gotta be right behind me, or this ain't gonna play any way but bad. We gotta stay united elsewise it's gonna go south real quick."

"What's goin' south?"

The voice came clear out of nowhere, causing both the mechanic and the usually-more-alert mercenary to start guiltily.

"We aren't set to crash, are we?" Mal continued, stepping out into the corridor and peering back and forth from one to the other. He didn't miss the rapid shot 'look' that flashed between them neither. He wasn't near as blind as Inara claimed he was, and these two struck him as mighty jumpy. His eyes narrowed on Jayne in particular. "You done somethin' I should know about?"

_Did makin' the Doc choke on his own medicine count?_ Jayne blanked. His mouth hung slightly open as he tried to think of a comeback. "Uh…"

Kaylee took matters into her own hands, thumping her Captain soundly on the arm.

"Ow…Hey!" Mal whimpered and rubbed at the injury, staring at her all betrayed-like. Anyone would've thought she'd up and shot him.

"Why do you always gotta do that?" she demanded, all bristled up like a ferocious tiger goddess protectin' her cub – like Jayne's very own _Xi Wang-mu._

"Do what?" Mal glanced back at Jayne who was grinning at her antics. "You been encouragin' these violent tendencies?"

Kaylee hit him again. "That! There! Why for you always gotta assume Jayne's done wrong?"

"Because he usually has?"

Jayne chuckled. "Ain't that the truth?"

Kaylee turned them fiery five-spice eyes back on him. "Not helping," she hissed.

"Oh. Right." Jayne straightened and cleared his throat. "Thing is, Mal, me n' Kaylee need to have a talk with ya."

"About?"

Jayne shuffled his feet, unaccountably nervous. "Oh, you know, this 'n that. Birds and the bees."

"Birds and…" Mal blinked, the implications of that particular statement registering all manner of wrong. "_Wo de tien ah. _No." He pointed a disapproving finger at them. "No, no. This is _not_ happening on my boat."

"No use for it, Cap. 'S already happened." Jayne reached for Kaylee's hand and she didn't hesitate to give it. United – just like she said. "Us here's a done deal," he continued. "We just thought it'd be better if'n you knew 'bout it upfront this time. Mostly upfront, anyhow."

Mal blinked some more and then stormed off toward the bridge without another word.

"Mal!"

"Captain!"

_Lord help him, even their voices were in harmony._

He took the steps two at a time, ignoring their calls, and slumped into the co-pilot's chair.

Kaylee and Jayne? His mind fair boggled. How in the percolating bowels of hell…?

Maybe he _was_ blind after all. He for sure hadn't seen this coming. Wasn't like they'd shown any real interest in each other since those first weeks after Jayne'd hired on – at least Kaylee hadn't, Jayne's interest had lingered a fair degree longer. After he'd told them in no uncertain terms that such fraternizing wouldn't be tolerated, it had all seemed to run out of steam. And that was a long while ago now. Last he knew his mechanic and the Doc were still trippin' the light fandango.

"All over now, baby blue." River didn't even bother to turn around, concentrating instead on the endless black canvas beyond her viewscreen.

"All what-the-who?"

"Stalled on the runway, couldn't even get off the ground. Simon's spark didn't catch." She locked the control panel and glanced over, dark eyes wise and knowing. "The loyal swan has been waiting in the wings. On the backburner, simmering. It's the slow burn that lasts the longest."

No use pretending ignorance on this score. "Generally leaves a bigger scar, too."

He glanced over his shoulder where the unlikely couple were still whispering to each other back in the corridor. Jayne was scowling. He looked up and met Mal's eyes, then began heading in his direction.

Mal sighed.

"I ain't done talkin' at you," the merc announced, barrelling through the entry.

Mal swung his seat around to face him, tipping it back and folding his arms. "How long you been on this boat now, Jayne?"

The big man paused. You could almost see him sliding beads on the abacus in his head. "Are you wantin' a specific number on that or…?"

"In that time, I ever once give you the impression I'd allow leeway on disobeyin' orders?"

Jayne stepped closer, looming overhead like imminent death. Made a man feel somewhat at a disadvantage when he did that.

"Damn it, Mal! This ain't got nothin' to do with orders. You can't… It's Kaylee… she's…" Jayne's hands flexed like he was trying to snatch the elusive words out of thin air. "…She's _home_. Do you get that? Don't matter none if'n we's flyin' on this boat or planetside on some ruttin' dustbowl, _she_ is what's home to me."

There was sound akin to a great sobbing gasp from behind the mercenary, and they suddenly remembered that the girl herself had been standing there the whole time.

"Oh!" She lunged forward and flung her arms around Jayne's middle, her cheek pressed between his shoulder blades. "Ain't that the sweetest thing you ever heard in your life?"

River smiled at the other girl indulgently, nodding. "Like treacle. Or pudding." She looked at Jayne and a very adult gleam lit in her eye that had no place there. "Sticky," she murmured. "Hot and sticky."

Kaylee giggled. "Oh, yeah. Real hot."

Mal shuddered and made a face like he'd swallowed somethin' awful.

Jayne scowled, torn 'tween bein' disgusted, embarrassed and proud all at once. Kaylee's hands were clutching at his belly, leaving fingerprint smudges on his second-favourite shirt. He put one of his own hands over hers, engulfing them entirely, and looked Mal square in the eye.

"Ya can't bust this up, Mal. No way. You try, an' one or other of us is gonna end up dead or shot so fulla holes he'd be wishin' on it. I'm tellin' you now, straight out – it ain't likely ta be me."

"You're truly prepared to fight me on this, willin' to take that chance?"

"Yes." Tense, but controlled; Jayne was holdin' himself tight as a steel drum.

If anything, Mal felt worse knowing that Jayne was serious about Kaylee. And when was it exactly that the man had evolved? 'Cause there was no doubting that he had. The fact that he'd failed to notice such a miraculous transformation made him wonder if his captaining skills were somehow deficient.

Kaylee poked her head around the mercenary's arm, eyes big and shining. "We both are."

His mechanic actin' unconcerned on the prospect of gunplay? Well, that there was the clincher on this deal. Couldn't rightly argue with that kind of conviction. Besides, if there was one thing in the 'Verse he was disinclined to do, it was crush the hopes of a happy smiley-faced Kaylee. He hadn't bothered her about chasin' the Doc overmuch, after all.

"Well, I can't speak to how this has been the most pleasurable of surprises, _mei mei_, but you're a full-grown woman who knows her own mind, though it seems you're even less apt to turn down a challenge than I am…" He glanced behind them to where Inara stood, watching intently. How he'd known she was there, he couldn't quite account for. "And, as you've advised me more'n once, I ain't your Daddy, so I've no power on who-so-ever you choose to take up with."

Mal nodded at Inara's approving smile, lingered a moment to watch her walk away, then wheeled his chair back around to face the oncoming black. "Now, that's settled. I don't want to hear any more about it, much less _see_ anything, so…" He waved a dismissive hand. "Get out. I got Captainy things need attendin' to."

"Liar." River smiled serenely at the sharp glare she received for that statement.

"Am not."

"Are."

Mal appeared to want to argue more, but became mindful that he still had a gob-smacked audience. He raised questioning brows at them. "Why're you still here? Conversation's finished, _dong ma_?"

"Did that just happen?" Kaylee asked once they'd regrouped out in the passage.

"Reckon the Cap's gone n' lost what marbles he had that wasn't scrambled."

"So…" She reached out and took Jayne's hand in her own, tracing patterns up and down his long fingers. "What now?"

Jayne gazed into her eyes for a spell, lost in the tasty swirl of cinnamon and coffee. Girl plumb warmed him on the inside when she looked at him like that. "I got me a couple ideas."

That deep voice was more purr than growl, and she flushed some at the sound of it. He barely needed to do more to set her reeling; he'd already won her heart with his words, her body weren't far behind. "Did ya really mean all that, what you said?"

Jayne stepped into her space, pressing her against the bulkhead by her bunk. His eyes were aglow, fairy-light reflections dancing in lambent blue. "Sure enough did. Every bit."

"Really?"

The big man scowled, got all puffed up indignant that she'd dare doubt his sincerity. "Look, I ain't one for that sissified versification Doc prob'ly used…"

She snorted.

His jaw tightened at the interruption, but he went on regardless. "An' I'm not well known for bein' particularly soft or charmful…"

"Jayne..."

"What?"

Kaylee shook her head. _Stupid mule-headed man couldn't tell port-side from starboard even with a chart in his hand._

Her hands moved down his abdomen in a deceptively casual dance, until she was tugging the hem of his blue T-shirt from his belted waist. She liked him in blue, almost as much as liked him out of it.

"In case ya didn't notice," she said. "I ain't expectin' ya to be anything of the sort. You ain't Simon. I don't want you ta be. Besides, none of that worked anyhow." She made a 'take a look around' gesture. "He ain't here. You are."

Jayne leant in, got almost impossibly closer. "I noticed."

She giggled. "Jayne, is that a bible in your pocket, or…"

"Could be I'm just happy." His hand smacked the button to open the hatch of her bunk. "Reckon that's a mystery you need to investigate."

"_Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."_

_Oliver Wendell Holmes_

**THE END**


End file.
